A black stork chick was snatched out of the nest in Poland's Notecka Forest. The little birds were on their own in the nest when a hawk attacked them. The predator launched a series of approaches before it finally succeeded and snatched one of the chicks. The whole situation was caught on camera which monitors the life of the stork family.
Unlike its white cousin, the black stork (Cicionia nigra) is rather shy, keeps away from humans, and builds nests deep in forests - mostly on old oaks. The species is under full protection in Poland, but as the stork family from the Notecka Forest has found out, legal protection is not enough to keep them safe from all dangers.
Predator might strike again
The Eagle Protection Committee and Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznań informed about the incident. Four black stork chicks aged 16-20 days were sitting in their nest in Notecka Forest (in Sieraków Forest District). On Wednesday afternoon, the stork parents left the nest and went to search for food for their offspring. Left on their own, the chicks were attacked by a hawk. The predator launched three attacks until it succeesed and snatched on the little birds out of the nest. The attack happened in a flash and was watched live online by internet users - the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznań said.
"Unfortunately for the stork family, the hawk might return," the foresters said on social media. "Unfortunately, there is no way to secure the nest from the attacks. We're keeping our fingers crossed this situation does not happen again. Such an incident is an element of wild nature, where relations between predators and prey happen everyday. We have no say in these relations," they added.
Hawks and pine martens
A volunteer worker from the Eagle Protection Committee, Sebastian Wręga, told TVN24 that most likely the same hawk had also snatched a chick from another nest, despite the presence of an older bird.
"Pine martens and hawks are the predators which pose a threat to these birds. Although they somehow can manage to defend themselves from pine martens, hawks are very skillful predators and there's no way to stop them. According to reports, the hawk population is declining. That we can watch such attacks is because we have more cameras. In a humanly way, it's a pity a chick like that one becomes lunch, but the hawk has its own chicks it needs to feed," he added.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24, RDLP Poznań, State Forests
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: Eagle Protection Committee